Stopper



March I 19, 1940. J. RENKA, JR

STOPPER Filed July 23, 1938 IN V EN TOR.

Jae 07a Ream Jr.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE STOPPER Joseph Renka, Jr., New York, Y. Application July 23, 1938', Serial No. 220,979

1 outim. (Cl. 215-43) This invention aims to provide a novel stopper for a vacuum bottle, so constructed that it will not readily lose its shape, become foul, transferthe taste or smell of one liquid to a difierent liq uid, or have the disadvantages attendant upon using a vacuum bottle stopper made of cork which is exposed to the contents of the bottle.

Another object of the invention is to provide a stopper which Willhave not only the character-. istics above mentioned but, as well, will present a novel cushion which will be soft to the fingers, when the stopper is shoved into a bottle, the stopper at the same time being compressible and expansible under pressure, to effect a more perfect closure.

Another object of the invention is to provide .a stopper for vacuum bottles which may be assembled in a simple and novel way, without the use of tools, it being possible to use the core repeatedly, if the operator wishes.

It iswithin the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being under stood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may ,be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the acccompanying drawing:

Fig. 1 shows in side elevation, a vacuum bottle equipped with a stopper constructed in accordance with the invention, a portion of the bottle being broken away;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of thestopper depicted in Fig. l, in condition for use;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the process by which the stopper shown in Fig. 2 may be constructed;

Fig. 4 is a top plan of the stopper delineated in Fi 2;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation showing a :rnodifie form of the invention;

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section of the stopper forming the subject of illustration in Fig. 5.

The numeral l marks a vacuum bottle, used to keep hot liquids hot and cold liquids cold, the structure being recognized readily from the foregoing description, although the trade-mark name, if it could be used in this specification, would identify the article more directly. The bottle I has an external thread 2 on which a cap (not shown) is screwed to place.

The stopper forming the subject matter of this application may include a core 3, which maybe a cork, the term cork defining the material preferably used, rather than indicating that the core 3 is a stopper. It is proposed to locate the, core 3 within a casing 4, having a bottom 5, the casing being supplied at its upper end with an inwardly extended annular rib 6 defining an opening 1, the casing embracing the core 3 closely,1and the rib 6 resting tightly on the upper end of the core 3. The casing 4 preferably is made of resilient rubber.

. In'the making of the stopper, the casing 4 is turned inside out, as in Fig. 3, and the bottom of the casing is placed against the lower end of the core 3, the casing being inverted. The casing 8 is stripped upwardly over the core 3, from the position of Fig. 3 to the position of Fig. 2, the rib 8 snapping over the upper end of the core 3, and the article, thus, assuming the completed condition of Fig. 2.

In Figs. 5 and 6, parts hereinbefore described have been designated by numerals already used, with the sufiix af. the core 3a has a reduced neck 8 defining a shoulder 9 in the core. The article is assembled, preferably, after the manner of Fig. 3, the rib 6a snapping downwardly on top of the shoulder a and embracing the neck 8 closely. The casing id is made .out of resilient rubber, like the casing In this form of the invention,

4, the core 3a, however, being made out of rubber i which is somewhat more resilient and softer than the rubber out of which the casing 4a is constructed.

In seating the stopper of Figs. 5 and 6 in the neck of the vacuum bottle I, pressure may be applied to the compressible neck 8 of the core 3a. The upstanding portion of the neck 8 forms a cushion which makes this operation easy on the fingers, a consideration which is desirable especially in view of the fact that vacuum bottles often are stoppered by women or children.

. Moreover, when the cap of the vacuum bottle! stopper is wedged tightly in a bottle, the operator cannot lay hold of the neck and pull the core So out of the casing 4a. Moreover, the neck 8 carries no ring or similar device, by which an operator might the more readily drag the core 311 out of the casing 4a. The device cannot be characterized by the negative statement that the neck 8 does not carry a ring or other pulling handle, but, as to the absence of the handle, the article may be characterized positively by the statement that the upper end surface of the neck 8 constitutes the uppermost portion of the stopper.

Whether the form shown in Fig. 2 or the form shown in Fig. 6 is used, the core is not exposed to the liquid in the bottle, and the advantages set forth in the opening portion of this specification will be consummated. A shielding of the core from contact with the contents of the bottle is peculiarly desirable when the cork core 3 of Fig. 2 is used.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

A stopper for vacuum bottles, comprising a resilient core provided at its upper end with a reduced upstanding neck defining a transverse shoulder, and a resilient casing enclosing the core and provided at its upper end with an inwardly projecting annular rib forming an opening, the rib overhanging and engaging the shoulder, the rib embracing the neck closely, the neck being of the same cross sectional area as the opening, throughout the entire height of the neck, the neck extending upwardly above the rib a distance approximating the thickness of the rib, to form a cushion which facilitates the seating of the stopper, the core being more resilient than the casing, the upper end surface of the neck constituting the uppermost portion of the stopper.

JOSEPH RENKA, JR. 

